Rainforest Alliance
also was a founding
member of the Forest Stewardship Council, which strives
to ensure that forests worldwide are
responsibly managed.
Products—including
furniture, copy paper,
and other paper products—displaying
the FSC certification originate from forests where habitats are protected, biological diversity is conserved, and the
local community’s rights are respected.

USDA Organic:

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s
organic certification
is the most stringent
of its kind. To use this
label, farmland must be
free from prohibited substances for at least three years before
the crop is harvested. In addition, farmers must use organic seeds and planting
stock when possible, as well as proper soil fertility, crop rotation, and farm
management practices.

Products can be certified “ 100 percent organic,” “organic” (
ninety-five percent of ingredients, except for
water and salt, are certified organic),
or “made with organic ingredients”
and indicate those specific ingredients
on the label.

USDA Certified Bio-Based:

A bio-based product is derived from
plants or other renewable agricultural, marine, or forestry materials. Some
federal contracts mandate bio-based
purchasing, and consumers may see
this label on cleaning products, laundry soaps, ink, fertilizers, or food packaging, indicating the percentage of the
product or packaging that came from
renewable resources. Though the label
does not mandate specific practices in
regard to sourcing these resources, it
does ensure that a product claiming
to be “plant-based” is, in fact, plant-based. To search all certified products,
visit biopreferred.gov.

Non-GMO Project Verified:

Genetically modified organisms,
or GMOs, are living organisms whose
genetic makeup has been artificially
manipulated to create something that
does not occur naturally. Though there
is no scientific consensus to say GMOs
are unsafe, research has connected
GMOs with some health and environmental issues. Many countries significantly restrict or ban their use, but the
United States has not followed suit and
does not require products to list GMOs
on their ingredient labels.

According to Consumer Reports,
the Non-GMO Project Verified label
is “a highly meaningful label for consumers wishing to avoid GMOs in the
foods they buy and to support farmers
who don’t use GMOs.” One note of caution: just because a product is GMO-free doesn’t mean it’s free of all harmful
pesticides or chemicals. On the other hand, any product certified organic
must be free of GMOs—and other dangerous chemicals, pesticides, and fertilizers.

Certified BCorp:

On products
from such companies as Seventh Generation,
Plum Organics, Ben & Jerry’s, and Happy
Family, you’ll
see a B Corp
logo, indicating
the company’s
commitment to
social and environmental impact. Certified B Corp companies must achieve
a minimum impact score, report annually on their social and environmental
performance, and amend their corporate charters to legally include sustainability and social benefits in its mission.

While this label doesn’t provide information about the specific product it’s
found on, it does show that the manufacturing company is committed to
greener business practices.